WHAT could science possibly know about your beard that you don’t already know? Surely, your knowledge of how to shave that beard—gained from long and painful experience—would be more accurate than any theories scientists might have on whisker cutting. Or would it?

The chances are, you might find (as we did) that a little study on the subject of beards, can produce much more comfortable shaves. It also makes a fine topic for conversation with the boys in the back room when the poker game lags.

There is even, for instance, a correct technical name for the science of shaving. They call it pogonotomy, whether it’s done by carving whiskers off with lather and a blade razor, or chopping them off dry with an electric razor. We’ll discuss both methods, starting with the lather-and-slice routine.

New Dry Shaver Uses No Electricity
Small enough to be carried in a vest pocket, a dry shaver just introduced operates without electricity. The shaving element consists of a perforated cylinder free to turn on a grooved core, within which a narrow, replaceable blade is held in contact with the inside of the cylinder. In use, the shaver is moved over the skin as shown. The rolling perforated cylinder, moving past the inner blade, shears off the whiskers. Extra blades of high-grade steel can be purchased at low cost.

So weird. I thought I was the only one who wears lipstick while I shave.

Cooler Shaves EVERY DAY

because Ingram’s does these three things When you start using Ingram’s, you stop getting hot shaves. For three special ingredients in this rich-lather cream do these three things to make all shaves quick, clean and stingless—

1st, they wilt whiskers softer at the skin-line, where your razor works. 2nd, smooth your skin so the blade can’t skip and scuff. 3rd, cool your face while you shave, keep it cool when you’ve finished.

What brand of razor and blade do you prefer for your morning shave? Maybe you aren’t aware of it, but your decision as to the blade you use is helping to decide a stirring merchandise battle for control of the razor blade market. The business of removing whiskers is a big-money industry, and Gillette, long dominant in the safety-razor field, is battling a host of aggressive competitors to retain the lion’s share.

A THIN ribbon of sheet steel that would reach halfway round the earth is used every year to scrape the whiskers off the American chin.

These unwanted stubs of hair, if laid end to end, probably would reach from here to Mars, but there is no way of estimating the total amount of suffering and mental anguish involved in their removal. It is a safe guess, however, that the aggregate pain produced by dull razor blades exceeds that of all other pain sources put together.

Beard Clinic Maps Strategy for Shaving
HOW men should manipulate their razors to give themselves a smooth, clean shave is explained by dermatologists at the New York World’s Fair after a facial examination with an ingenious apparatus. On human faces, the experts say, the beard grows in different directions, which should be followed by the shaver as he uses his razor.

TAKE a look at any group photograph of half a century ago. No matter what their station in life, the faces of the men you see there will be adorned with luxuriant crops of whiskers. Some were clipped plain, with the simple dignity of a cemetery hedge. Others were brushed and trimmed in weird and wonderful designs, like decorations on a wedding cake.

Now take a look along the streetâ€”any street in almost any country. You see a new race of men entirely. You can really see their faces, and they are bright and clean. No more of this hiding behind the bush. Their jaws are as bare of foliage as an oak tree in January.

HE’D counted on landing the jobâ€”but he missed out. Again he’ll have to “stall” the landlord, the grocer and all the rest. One thing stood between him and a weekly pay check. His wife is somewhat reluctant to tell him. He doesn’t realize that a fresh, close shave is important in getting and holding a job.

Vintage Versions of Modern Technology - { […] This photograph comes from a magazine article published in 1956 about the future of phones talks about audio/video data compression and voice recognition as... }